


Caterpillar

by trash_devil



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Gen, One Shot, agender Grima, some Wholesome Grima Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 13:33:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16087121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_devil/pseuds/trash_devil
Summary: Grima's revenge extended only to the worms, to the parasites that made the world and the dragon ugly and monsterous through their selfishness. But children never had a hand in the sinfulness of their parents. Instead of worms, they are more like caterpillars, brimming with potential and life. They deserve to become butterflies.





	Caterpillar

Grima held the Morgans close, their wings curling around the children that snuggled into their robes. Their claws weighed heavy on their shoulders, but they did not fear. Grima had never hurt them, even if the fell dragon had hurt many others.  
“Beast,” sobbed Lucina, stumbling through the wreckage. “Monster.”  
Grima regarded her with narrowed eyes. “Caterpillar, what are you doing here?”  
She held out the Falchion in her trembling hands. Light glinted wickedly off the blade. “I am here to avenge my father.”  
“And what would be the point of that, little caterpillar? The cycle of revenge would only continue between you and yours and me,” they paused, their claws gently teasing the knots out of one Morgan’s hair, “... and mine.”  
“You killed him!”  
“He was going to kill me.”  
“Because you did this!” She swept one hand out to indicate the burnt ruins around them.  
Grima shrugged. “So? There’s more.”  
“More what?”  
“Places. Towns. Buildings.”  
“More for you to destroy, you mean,” Lucina hissed through gritted teeth.  
“Why would I? It is safe now. You need not raise your blade.”  
“It won’t be safe until you’re dead.”  
“Maybe.” They sighed softly, black flame curling from their mouth. “Does it matter? It is over now. There is only you, now. You and others like you.” Grima lifted a hand and crooked one finger to beckon her. “Come. There neither need for my blood nor your tears.”  
She did not move. The hate in her eyes was answer enough.  
“I know it hurts, caterpillar,” Grima breathed. They took a step towards her. “I know. You held such attachment to the worms, but I could no longer watch generation after generation succumb to the rot. Caterpillars deserve to become butterflies, not vermin.”  
“Don’t pretend that you tried to do something good.”  
“I do not know what it is I have done. If it is good or if it is evil.” They took another step, and this time she did not back away. “What I do know is that the worms thought me to be the latter. They thought I was ugly and monstrous and repulsive, and maybe they were right, but they forgot that it was their hands that made me. I was a mirror for their own sins, and they cowered from their creation.”  
Lucina stood still as their wings wrapped around her too, as they held her close to their chest.  
Morgan smiled at her. “Big sis,” she whispered. Her brother nodded his agreement. Their hands found hers, small and warm and reassuring, as Grima’s heart pounded in her ear.  
“You killed… my friends…” she said softly.  
A sharp exhalation of breath, maybe a laugh, maybe something else. “Did you ever see their bodies, caterpillar?” They released her from their embrace, stepping back. The Morgans stayed by her side.  
“... No. I did not.”  
Grima smiled. It was not a particularly reassuring expression, their lips parting over wickedly sharp teeth. “My war was with your forefathers, not with you.”  
Morgan tugged at her arm, pulling her toward one of the few buildings still standing. “C’mon, Lucina!” he chirruped. His sister nudged her forward from behind.  
Grima opened the door for her. She stumbled into a torchlit room as one Morgan or the other got a little too enthusiastic with guiding her.  
“Lucina!” chorused a familiar collection of voices. A crush of limbs as they all tried to hug her at once. Even Gerome let her cry on his cape a little.  
Grima and their two blood-related children stood back.  
“A reunion is a beautiful thing, is it not?” the fell dragon said to no one in particular. “Caterpillars deserve to be beautiful.”


End file.
